About RCC

About RCC and the Regional Economic Competitiveness Strategy

Northeast Ohio’s corporate, chamber of commerce and foundation leadership created the Regional Competitiveness Council in 2013 to set goals and identify actions to strengthen the region’s economy. The council based its conclusions on findings that indicate Northeast Ohio continues to underperform the rest of the country on three key metrics of economic development – job creation, gross regional product and per capita income.

Building on earlier studies of the regional economy, a 15-member steering committee spent several months developing recommendations. More than 100 community members, executives, consultants and others contributed to the comprehensive effort, volunteering their time, offering wide-ranging perspectives and providing specialized expertise.

The regional economic competitiveness strategy was built around a comparative analysis of our region’s job-growth performance and the practices of the most successful regions. The goal is to accelerate the pace of job creation by 50 percent and ultimately outperform the nation.

Foundations

Chambers of Commerce

Ashtabula Growth PartnershipErie County Economic Development CorporationGreater Akron ChamberGreater Cleveland PartnershipHuron County Development CouncilMedina County Economic Development CorporationPortage County Development BoardStark Development BoardTeam Lorain CountyWayne County Economic Development CouncilYoungstown/Warren Regional Chamber

Others

10+ economic development experts10+ executive leadersInnovation and cluster theory expertsRelocation & expansion consultantsCollective Impact expertVisits to six other regions to determine best practices